Re: A simple proposition to fix democracy in U.S.

"DPDavis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Erik Aronesty wrote:
>
> > If we charged people a $200 federal tax penalty for failing to vote in
> > a federal election, it would stir a subtle but powerful shift in the
> > counciousness of the country.
> >
> > People, feeling compelled to vote, would also feel compelled to talk
> > about voting. If only to complain about it! But that's OK. This talk
> > would lead, over time, to political discussion and involvement. And,
> > finally, a restoration of "Democratic" part of the Democratic Republic
> > known as the United States.
> >
> > It's a slow process.  But, I think, it's something that's nonpartisan,
> > and something that we can probably agree on.
> >
> > At the very least, we could begin to enact it on a state level - in as
> > many states as possible.
> >
> > I would have said that we could start with California.  But now that a
> > Republican is in charge, I doubt it would pass.  I'm not sure that
> > Republicans really want people to vote.  I think they'd rather just
> > run the show and have nobody vote at all.
> >
> > Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
>
>
>   I don't care if you are wrong, I like your energy towards bringing
> people into the process. I don't care what it is either, but unless we
> break the partisan posturing and corporate influence in DC, we might as
> well be visiting 'democracy' in a graveyard.

Just "corporate" influence? Personally I see little difference between that
influence and those same unwholesome forces that directly pay people to vote
one way or the other - like the HUGE maze of direct federal subsidies that
go to various interest groups or individuals. Farmers (including corporate
farms) got $87 billion alone in the 2002 Senate battle - much of that for
so-called drought relief - and supported by both parties. That's just one
glaring example.

Jefferson warned that once the people discovered they could vote themselves
money directly ("became corrupted") that "democracy and liberty" would
become threatened as well. Course, Jefferson never really foresaw the
concept of personal Federal Income Taxes and the New Deal either. That would
have been a pretty foreign concept to most of the founders.

I guess it does matter who is doing the corrupting. If it is the people
themselves selling their votes then maybe it is not corruption at all.
Interesting question.

John